


Keeping Secrets

by kuro



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-24
Updated: 2014-05-24
Packaged: 2018-01-26 08:48:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1682219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kuro/pseuds/kuro
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony is forced to go to a live-interview by Pepper. He has no idea what it’s going to be about (not that he cares). Unfortunately, a question that Tony was not prepared to answer pops up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Keeping Secrets

**Author's Note:**

> An anonymous prompt from tumblr. (See original prompt at the end.)
> 
> This prompt was really fun to write, mainly because I would have never ever thought of it myself. So I really hope I did the prompt justice (I kind of feel like I screwed up and need to apologise).

Tony arrives at the studio just in time and pulls off his usual number: enter the room as if you own each and every thing in it, show off your exorbitantly expensive suit, flash your sunglasses and your smile into the camera, step towards the host, greet her like _you_ are the one making the rules here, sit down and sprawl all over the seat.

It's both expected from him and and an intimidation tactic. It's usually very effective in assuring the most idiotic questions these 'professionals' come up with aren't ever asked. Tony really hopes it works today, as well.

“It's nice to have you here today, Mr. Stark,” the host starts immediately. (No, Tony did not bother to remember her name or even the show he is on.)

“Tony,” Tony corrects automatically, “Mr. Stark was my father.”

“Tony,” she repeats. Tony hides an irritated twitch of his brow. He already wishes he could leave. Honestly, he is only here because Pepper threatened him and explained to him in colourful detail what would happen if he didn't appear in this live-interview. He _hates_ interviews. People are not interested in hearing the truth, they only want their own biased opinions validated. 

“Tony,” the host repeats once more for good measure, “we have a little surprise for you. It has just been decided!”

“And what would that be?” Tony asks, trying not to put too much 'and why should I care?' into the question.

“You have just been voted the Most Eligible Bachelor 2014! Congratulations!” the host announces excitedly, and Tony freezes. He definitely hadn't been prepared for _that_. 

“What do you say to that?” she continues, apparently oblivious to his current state. “Do you have any lovely lady in mind, or is there still hope for all of us?”

Tony, for the first time in a long while, doesn't know what he should answer. Anything he can say at this point will be wrong.

“Well, I'm sorry to disappoint all the lovely ladies, but I suppose I can't accept this title, seeing as I am not available anymore,” he finally blurts out after an awful moment of silence. “Was that all? Are we finished here? Good, have a lovely day.”

Tony stands up, and he doesn't really remember how he gets from the studio to the car, he doesn't see the shocked faces of the host and the cameramen and the crew, but then he's suddenly sitting in the soft leather seat of his Audi R8, staring into the distance. Did he really say that? He did. Fuck.

He pulls out his mobile phone and hits speed dial. The phone rings a few times before someone answers it.

“ _Yes?”_

“I think I just fucked up,” Tony confesses. “Badly.”

“ _What? Tony? What are you talking about?”_

“I might have said live on TV that I can't accept the title 'Most Eligible Bachelor 2014' because I'm already in a committed relationship,” Tony explains.

He can hear a sigh over the phone.

“ _Why don't you come over, and we talk about this face to face. I'm waiting for you.”_

Then the line goes dead.

Fuck.

* * *

 

Steve is waiting right behind the door, arms crossed, leaning on the wall of the entrance. Tony closes the door behind him, but he keeps standing where he is, silently staring down at the floor. It's a very interesting floor. Truly fascinating.

“It was your wish,” Steve finally starts.

“I know,” Tony mumbles.

“What made you change your mind?” Steve probes.

“I didn't!” Tony bursts out, finally looking up. Steve is studying him like one of his battle plans, mentally mapping out all possibilities. “It slipped out! I couldn't say anything else!”

“Tony, it's almost been five years,” Steve calmly replies. “Five years of marriage, and you never even _hinted_ that you are in _any_ kind of relationship. Why slip up now?”

Tony buries his head in his hands. He's tired.

“Maybe I'm just tired,” he mumbles. He takes a deep breath. Looks like it's finally time to own up.

“When this started,” Tony confesses, “I never thought it would work out. I'm a difficult person, Steve, I can think of at least 76 reasons off the top of my head why this shouldn't work out. But you wanted to marry me, and do you have _any_ idea how happy I was? That was the happiest day of my life. You looked into my eyes and you told me you wanted me, for the rest of our lives. This is it, Steve, this is it for me, I married you, and there is never going to be anyone else. And nobody knows that. Nobody, even though I really want to shove it into everybody's face, that _Steve Rogers_ married _me_ , that...”

“Tony,” Steve interrupts him, and envelops him in a gentle embrace. “Shhh.”

Steve sways him a little back and forth, humming quietly. Tony can _feel_ he's gearing up for a speech. If he wasn't so helplessly in love with him, he would probably hate Steve's ability and tendency to make rousing speeches. Because it's Steve, though, it kind of makes Tony want to get down on his knees.

“I don't really care whether people know or not,” Steve starts, lightly scratching the back of Tony's neck (because he's a cheat and knows that it will shut Tony up 99% of the time). “Don't get me wrong, I would love to stand next to you in public and show everyone that you are _my_ husband and no-one else's. But you have never made me feel unloved or unappreciated, and you have always made it clear that _I_ am your first and foremost priority, no matter what the public thinks. That is what matters to me. You are what matters to me. Not what the public thinks you are or do. This is it for me too, Tony. I have committed to this relationship knowing that it won't be easy. You always say you're difficult, but I'm not any less complicated. And don't think I don't know that you've been protecting me. But as long as this right here, this thing between you and me, is working, I don't care about the opinions of the rest of the the world.”

Tony doesn't bother to respond for a while, closing his eyes and allowing himself to be petted by his husband. Best husband. He knows very well how many times Steve had to stay on the sideline the past few years, and how difficult it must have been sometimes, but not once has Steve pressured him on the topic. Steve is the type to tackle things straight on, and just this once, he decided to stand back because Tony wanted it so, and Steve wanted this relationship to work out.

“I'm going to make an official statement,” Tony finally announces, absent-mindedly stroking Steve's upper arms. “What's the use when you have the best trophy husband and don't show him off?”

“You only love me for my pretty face,” Steve sighs dramatically.

“Mmmh, no, I can think of a few other body parts that are equally as important,” Tony counters, smiling up at Steve slyly.

“What, my muscles, so I can do the heavy lifting for you in your workshop?” Steve asks, grinning back at him.

“I was rather thinking about doing the heavy lifting _with_ me,” Tony says, wiggling his eyebrows. “Carry me to bed.”

Steve laughs and then grabs Tony's backside, lifting him easily so he can wrap his legs around Steve's waist.

His exorbitantly expensive suit ends up crumpled somewhere in a corner in a matter of minutes.

Not that Tony cares.

* * *

 

“Your phone is ringing,” Steve says in between slowly kissing his way up and down Tony's back. Tony, half asleep by now, only deigns to respond with a short grumble, so Steve softly bites him in the shoulder and gets up to retrieve the phone from the floor. Tony is distracted by Steve's (glorious) backside for a moment, so he mostly ignores the fact that Steve answers his phone.

“Hello, Pepper,” Steve greets, “I don't think Tony is capable of answering the phone right now.”

“ _Excuse me?! Get him on the phone right now! What was he thinking, telling everyone he's not available any longer? And then leaving the interview just like that?_ ”

“Pepper is asking about the interview,” Steve passes on to Tony, sitting down next to him. Tony sighs and reaches out to get the phone.

“Pepper,” he says as a greeting.

“ _What were you thinking? And why weren't you answering your phone?_ ”

“I decided to say the truth. And I wasn't answering because I was busy shagging my husband,” Tony bluntly states. (“Making love”, Steve corrects in the background.) “Tell that to the press, they're gonna have field day. 'Most Eligible Bachelor' decides to get it on with... what was it again, '3rd Most Eligible Bachelor'?”

“It's actually 2nd this year,” Steve says with a twitch of his lips.

“Even better,” Tony answers. “In fact, the two most eligible bachelors have secretly been married the past five years. How's that sound for a newspaper headline?”

There's no answer from Pepper, probably because she's busy gathering her jaw from the floor. Tony is kind of proud, it looks like they have really managed to hide their little marital affair from everyone. (That was probably mostly thanks to Steve, though.)

“ _Steve._ ”

“Yes, Steve,” Tony confirms.

“ _You two are going to pay for this._ ”

Then the line goes dead.

“We are going to pay for this,” Tony repeats Pepper's last words.

“But not right now, right?” Steve asks with a glint in his eyes.

“Not right now,” Tony assures, reaching out to pull Steve down on the bed once more.

**Author's Note:**

> Original prompt: 'Tony's going to a live-interview. He doesn't know about what it is because Pepper made him go and didn't tell him. They tell him that he's the most eligible bachelor, because nobody knows that Tony's married for like half a decade.'
> 
> Here's my [tumblr](http://kurowrites.tumblr.com).


End file.
